I scrambled for the remote to turn the volume down when Yoko started screeching and howling. Yikes!
Loved their early version of “Bathroom Window.”
So John wore the same purple shirt and black vest for, like, three days in a row in the first episode. Now I swear Paul was wearing the same shirt and vest at the beginning of episode 2.
I’m really stunned how quiet Ringo is. He never really adds anything to the discussion.
This is one of my takeaways as well. Not only is Ringo quiet and noncontributory, he seems isolated from the other three. Being up at the kit while the others are bouncing ideas off one another while rehearsing, he has to feel somewhat left out.
I am loving this, though. I really enjoy watching the creative process unfold, and what better artists than the freakin’ Beatles to enjoy this with?
Anyone else find themselves trying to prompt them to get it right while they are struggling for the best musical hook or piece of lyric. When Paul and John were grasping for the right name to insert into “Get Back”, I was all but shouting at the telly, “Martin! Martin! Sweet Loretta Martin! And Jo Jo left his home in Tuscon Arizona!!”
mmm
I found it interesting seeing John and Paul’s credit agreement in action. As I understand it anything written by either of them is credited to both of them. Early on Paul pretty much comes up with Get Back all by himself and John hadn’t even turned up yet. No doubt he contributes later to the song but it was clearly Paul’s idea. The subtitle said “Get Back, Lennon/McCartney”.
Other random thoughts that are coming together in my head now:
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The thing that I’m noticing about George is how he seems more confident when presenting ideas for the others’ songs than he does with his own songs. Before presenting “I, Me, Mine” in ep 1, he did that whole spiel about what he watched on TV the night before (which I found oddly fascinating!) and how that inspired the song; it’s like he had to explain where this strange waltz-y song that he wrote came from. And before they start recording “For You Blue,” he just seems…nervous? Embarrassed? But when he offers up suggestions for something like “Get Back,” he does it without a hint of hesitation. I don’t know if this was how he always operated while they were creating songs in the studio, or if this feeling of confidence came as a result of the ruckus at Twickenham and subsequent conversations he had with Paul and John (and Ringo).
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I’m absolutely loving everything about this-- from the boring conversations about Paul’s new beard in the first episode to the goofy (stoned?) antics of John on the mic to the feeling of four guys just showing up at the office every day. (There was one day after the Twickenham blow-up where the only one to show up for work was Ringo. He just seems like a workhorse who probably also realizes that he’s somewhat replaceable and never wants to cause waves on the job, by, for instance, not showing up for work.)
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It really does look like Paul and John were still having fun together, especially on the long run-through of “Two of Us.”
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They don’t seem to be fans of Glyn Johns. John especially likes to bust his chops. Was Glyn originally intended to be the producer of this album? (Wikipedia lists him as audio engineer and mixing.) I know he put together some versions of the album the band didn’t like, and Phil Spector ended up getting the official producer credit on the released “Let it Be” album, but was George Martin not serving as producer as it was being recorded? He was around (at least at the Apple Studios) and he seemed to be working, but what was his role?
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After watching this, I am absolutely blown away by Billy Preston and his ability to just slide right into the recording session as if he’d always been there. His work on the keyboard on songs he’d never heard before, with little or no prep, is brilliant. Were it not for Paul, I think the other three would’ve welcomed Billy into the group as the fifth Beatle.
Ringo already had his “I quit!” snit during the White Album sessions so he was probably on his best behavior trying not to rock the boat.
The thing I noticed about George is that he seems to be the only one worried about how much everything costs.
George Martin was the producer but was totally out of his element away from Abbey Road and using the “get it all in one take without overdubs” rule the Beatles had set for this album. The Beatles themselves even had to keep reminding themselves of that, not realizing that the songs they intended to do required more than four instruments until more than half way through the project. George even asked Glyn if he’d be back to do the mixing and Glyn gives him this look that say’s, “what mixing?”.
My random input:
Working with John, who is apparently regularly (and very) late, would piss me off. He’s one of those people.
Wondering what the drug use situation was during these days. Half the time RIngo looks very tired or very high. Or maybe just very bored.
Under such a tight deadline, they seem to be “wasting” some of their precious time on noodling around with some old chestnuts rather than getting down to bidness.
I play music but I’ve never been in a band. I can see how easily it is to get on each others’ nerves during the writing and rehearsal process.
Mal is my favorite to watch. He took great pleasure in his anvil talent.
ETA: Wow. I just learned that Mal Evans died in 1976 at the age of 40. He was shot by the police in his own bedroom.
mmm
Loved Billy Preston’s reaction when he learned he’d just become a Beatle. Also, the Fabs goofing off with young Heather McCartney.
I think Ringo, as much as he seems “bored” or “isolated” or “replaceable” is the rock, the steady one–the other guys can fly off the handle and go off on their tangents, but Ringo is ready to go when the real action starts.
ps: Interesting to see George mixing up a scotch and coke for everyone at the end of episode two. Just like the old days.
Technical question: I trust that Peter Jackson has synched the video and the audio, especially when it comes to conversations in the studio. But there are times when we hear the audio but it doesn’t look like their mouths are moving properly.
Is this just because the original 16 mm film didn’t have enough detail?
I think it’s just edited that way to break up the monotony of watching four guys performing a song sitting down or just staring at their instruments as opposed to a stage performance, especially on takes that everybody recognizes from a record. The alternative is to just periodically cut to the control room while they nod along to the playback (and there is still a lot of that, too.)
Another thought about Ringo’s bored or tired composure. Is he moonlighting on The Magic Christian during these sessions? Even if filming hadn’t already started, there’s also rehearsal, costume fittings, makeup tests, etc. Peter Sellers didn’t show up just to chat with Beatles; he was there to work. It’s also the reason that Ringo isn’t going to let Lindsey-Hogg put him on a plane to Libya.
Poor Billy Preston kind of got shafted during the rooftop concert. Did nobody think to put a camera on him?
At the start of the video, wasn’t there a note saying than when they only had audio, they substituted footage that was representative of the audio they had?
Yes but there are moments where the audio is clearly from the video we’re seeing, but the mouths appear to be moving unnaturally or not moving at all. I’m just wondering if that might be the result of blowing up the 16 mm film to whatever format Peter Jackson eventually used.
I may be going against the grain here, but I don’t think Paul is being a dick. I agree with what he’s saying: if they’re going to half-ass it, why be there? The problem is, he was trying so hard to keep the group together, when he was the only one who still really cared about keeping it together. Ringo wanted to be doing movies; was doing one at the same time as this. John wanted to be doing art and experimental music, with Yoko. George wanted to be doing music, but not as a Beatle. Paul needed a Del Paxton* to tell him, “Can’t keep a band together. Bands come and go.” Mr. Rilch says that the benchmark for someone throwing his weight around in the studio is Roger Waters in the The Wall sessions, and Paul in this is nothing like what he’s heard about Waters. Somebody has to be in charge, and “It’s silly to fight discipline if it’s our own” makes perfect sense.
And as far as John and Yoko. It was not her idea to be there. It was John’s passive-aggressive way of saying “You’ve pulled me away from a project I was up to my eyebrows in with my lady friend here, but okay, you’re the boss,” and waiting for Paul to say “Okay, you two run along then.” But I can see from the convo on day 8 or 9 that the message was not received. And no, I don’t approve of that. Just FTR that Yoko did not not invite herself against John’s wishes.
*That Thing You Do! See it! Of course, if you’re a Beatles fan, you probably already have.
It is interesting that there wasn’t a thunderous breakup moment.
It it great seeing them enjoying playing together and bouncing things off each other. Seeing the songs we know so well coming together.
I can’t believe all the smoking! How could anyone sing with all of the smoke?! How did they all not end up with lung cancer?
Part of the problem, I think, is that the music they’re making at this point just isn’t very interesting. Imagine how exciting it would have been to watch a film of the making of Revolver, for example.
It was interesting that their rooftop playlist included the songs “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer,” “All Things Must Pass” and “I, Me, Mine.” They hardly played those over the course the the month, let alone practiced them. Seems strange that they thought those would be good ones to play live.
Playing the finale in a Tripoli amphitheater in front of thousands of “torchlit Arabs” likely would have been the Beatles’ “Stonehenge” moment. Good thing they were smart enough to ignore that idea.